So Long, Dear Star Wolf
by Doopstory
Summary: (Prequel piece to A Simple Test Drive) Star Wolf find themselves grounded on Corneria as a result of a deal from General Pepper. Wolf O'Donnell must now adjust to a civilian life he barely ever knew while also coming to terms with his feelings towards his career rival, Fox McCloud.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everyone! Here's the prequel fic to my previous story: A Simple Test Drive. So whether you've read it already or not, I hope you enjoy this!_

* * *

"Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit SHIT! SHIT!"

A sleek starship cut through the blackness of space, flanked on either side by crafts just like it. A couple dozen kilometers in front of them was an unassuming civilian ship, and a few thousand more kilometers ahead a blue planet sat suspended.

The center ship's comms crackled to life. "Very insightful, dear leader. Tell us more." A chameleon's face appeared on the cockpit's HUD, causing the wolf piloting it to grumble.

"You left your comm open, Wolf." Another voice, this time followed by the image of a panther. Wolf growled and punched the dashboard, shutting off his channel.

The cat's face disappeared, but the lizard's remained. "Why are we doing this, Wolf? Why are we here?"

Wolf let out a frustrated grunt before activating his comm again. "I told you already, Leon!"

"This is not our fight, Wolf. Don't we hate Corneria?"

"That's not the point! You know what'll happen if that ship reaches the Capital!"

"And I am saying, why risk our hides for them? We are wanted criminals there." Leon's tone was calm, reinforced by his Venomian accent.

"You know damn well the payload that fucker is carrying! That ain't a toy! It'll level the entire city and then some!"

"I say let it. Less problems for us."

Wolf completely shut his comm system off, shouting in frustration. The fact that Leon was still there told him that he wasn't going anywhere, but the words still stung. Corneria's atmosphere soon rushed to meet them

 _This is my home! I won't let that fucking monkey destroy it!_

The three Wolfens flew low over the ocean, still in pursuit of the other ship. There was no way a standard civilian model like that could outrun a Wolfen.

 _If we fail here, hundreds of thousands will die! Maybe more! Among them could even be…_

"Team Star Fox has arrived, Wolf. You should turn your comms back on." Panther's deep voice hit Wolf's ears. He had used the emergency frequency to get through. Wolf felt his heart skip as he turned the comm back on.

"Star Wolf. You'd better have a damn good reason for being here!" The leader of Star Fox, Fox McCloud, popped up on the feed. His voice was of a higher pitch and certainly annoyed, but he still held an air of authority.

Wolf began to speak. "McCloud, y-"

"Thank god you're here, Star Fox!" Another face popped up on the comms. A monkey. "These damned ruffians have been chasing me through half the system!" The civilian ship they had been pursuing positioned itself behind the four Arwings that had just appeared.

Fox's orange and white furred face twisted into a scowl on the display. "Really, Wolf? One ship? That's pathetic, even for you! What's on there that's so valuable to you?" The Wolfen's sensors had detected that the Arwings' weapons systems had come online.

"You can't listen to him, McCloud! He has an antimatter bomb on board! He's gonna set it off in the city!"

"You certainly can't expect that trash to be telling the truth! I'm just making a simple delivery and these scoundrels want to rob me of everything I own!" The monkey's feigned pitiful voice was grating.

Fox responded quickly. "And how do you know all of this, Wolf? If you're telling the truth, that is!"

"He's not!"

"Shut up!" Wolf pinched his brow. "He hired me to deliver a component of that bomb, but I didn't know what it was until I had Leon do some snooping afterward!"

"He is right." Surprisingly, Leon's voice joined. "I hacked into communications between him and his affiliates. He plans to detonate that bomb in the Capital."

"We are here to stop him, Star Fox. Please do not let your judgment of us cloud the facts." Panther added smoothly.

"More lies! Star Wolf would say anything to get to my cargo! Shoot them down, Star Fox!"

An additional face appeared, accompanied by a shrill voice. "I can run a scan of the ship, Fox. If what they're saying is correct, something like an antimatter bomb should be picked up quite easily."

"Fine. Do it Slippy."

"Man, I haven't been in a dogfight with you clowns in such a long time. I'm gonna enjoy this!" The cracking of knuckles could be heard as yet another voice joined, belonging to the bird Falco Lombardi.

"Fox!" Slippy's voice rang out once again. "He's right! There's a bomb!"

"What!?"

The monkey's craft suddenly shot off from the group.

"Dammit! We have to stop him!" Wolf pitched his Wolfen forward at full speed, breaking through the confused rival team.

"H-hey!" Fox recovered from his shock, following Wolf along with the rest of both teams. His voice could be heard again, hailing a new frequency. "General Pepper, this is Fox McCloud. We have an emergency."

The general replied curtly. "What is it, Star Fox?"

"We've intercepted a possible terrorist with an antimatter bomb making his way toward the Cornerian Capital. He's piloting a standard light cargo civilian craft with modified boosters. My team is in pursuit." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Star Wolf is assisting."

"What? Star Wolf? What's going on?"

"I've told you all that I know, Pepper. You'll just have to trust me."

Pepper sighed. "Fine. How far from the city are you?"

"About 300 kilometers east, over the ocean."

"I'll alert the military. Good luck, Star Fox."

Fox closed the channel, turning his attention to the ship in front. "Wolf! If you want to cooperate you're going to let me lead the formation!"

"Fat chance, kid! Stay in line!"

"It wasn't a suggestion! Fall behind me! Now!"

Cursing under his breath, Wolf hit the brake, allowing Fox in front of him. "You'd better have a plan, McCloud!"

"I do! Slippy, jam the target's communications!"

"Done!"

"Good. Wolf, you and your team exit atmosphere and fly ahead of the target to cut him off. We'll work to disable his ship from there."

"Fine. C'mon, boys." The three Wolfens pointed skywards, quickly exiting the atmosphere. With the loss of drag from the air, they were able to easily overtake the target ship.

"Looks like he has the same idea." Panther's comment turned everyone's attention to the craft below, which was quickly rising up to meet them.

"At least we are closer, now. I'll shoot out his boosters." Leon maneuvered his craft behind the monkey while Wolf and Panther boxed him in.

Slippy cut in. "Be careful! If you hit the wrong spot you'll ignite the fuel and set the bomb off! Make sure to sh-"

"I know how to disable a ship, frog!" The lizard sneered, firing precision shots into the back of the craft, taking out one of the thrusters.

Wolf noticed the ship dipping from the damage. "He's banking right! Panther!"

"I have him." Panther angled his Wolfen to support the damaged ship, keeping it stable for Leon's next shot. Wolf could see the pilot screaming in rage from his cockpit.

"So what's keeping this guy from detonating the bomb right now?" Falco's voice returned.

"Well, piloting, for one." The fourth Star Fox pilot, Peppy, spoke for the first time since the encounter started.

"Well if he gets desperate enough, he'll abandon the whole thing and blow us all up with him." Falco concluded.

"All the more reason we need to hurry up!" Fox's voice was urgent yet calm. "New plan: we're coming up with you. Slippy, do you have the capture field onboard?"

"Always do!"

"Great. Once his ship falls you'll need to set it up beneath him. Pepper will need him alive for questioning."

Suddenly, the cargo ship shot off with its one remaining booster, spinning wildly due to the lack of balance.

"Oh, dammit!" Fox's Arwing flew past Star Wolf in pursuit. Wolf reacted first, following his rival.

"McCloud, set me up for a shot!" The enemy ship had more or less stabilized, but it flew in an erratic path.

"Who's giving the orders here, again?"

"Goddammit, McCloud! Just trust me here! You're too close to get a good angle! I can make the shot and you know I can!"

There was a beat of silence before a reply. "Slippy, get ready to deploy the field."

"Roger!"

The craft took another sudden turn, and was going to jerk in the opposite direction, but a volley of fire from Fox prevented it. Fox shot all around the ship to keep it in place. Wolf set his ships targeting system to lock onto the remaining booster. The center of the reticle closed in, inching closer and closer to the sweet spot. The monkey attempted to fly downward, but Fox flew below to block him. The new angle worked perfectly for Wolf, and he fired a single shot.

The remaining thruster went up in smoke, the flames petering out as the craft began to careen downward. Fox's Arwing remained below it, and if its current trajectory was any indication, then…

"McCloud..." Wolf's voice caught in his throat. "FOX! LOOK OUT!"

Time slowed down as Wolf's heart hammered in his chest. There was nothing he could do. If he shot the ship the bomb could detonate, killing everyone. It was too far away for Wolf to ram. All he could do is watch in horror…

...as it passed clearly in front of Fox's Arwing, falling into the energy snare that Slippy had set up below.

"I'm fine, Wolf. Nice shot, by the way."

Wolf simply sat there, heart still pounding as he touched his eyepatch, cursing his lack of depth perception.

"Wolf." Leon brought him back to attention. "The Cornerian military is here." Sure enough, several ships had arrived, moving in to collect the terrorist. The capture field not only caught the ship, but also stopped the pilot from moving, preventing him from setting the bomb off.

Wolf switched to Star Wolf's private channel. "I'm nearly out of fuel, guys. I can't make it back to base."

Leon chuckled grimly. "What, and you think we are in a different situation? All of us are running low, since you decided to chase after that madman immediately."

Wolf sighed, as well as his two teammates. Sure enough, the transmission they were all expecting showed up on their HUDs.

"Team Star Wolf. You will be escorted to the Capital by my men here. I wish to speak with you in person." As soon as his face had appeared, General Pepper's image disappeared, leaving no time for reply.

As promised, a group of six ships flew to the group, leading them toward the city. Star Fox had already left by this point, it seemed. The trip was spent in silence.

* * *

The Wolfens were quickly parked in a government hangar upon the team's arrival. They were quickly carted off to see the General. Oddly, they had not been cuffed, but did have armed guards surrounding them. Making their way through the well kept government building was an odd experience for the mercenaries. They never set foot in structures like this unless they were doing something illegal.

Two large wooden doors were parted by the guards, leading into a spacious, extravagantly decorated office. The old dog, Pepper, stood in front of his desk, and all four members of Star Fox stood facing him. They had been talking, but focused their attention on the newcomers. Pepper smirked while the other men turned around. Peppy stared daggers at them while Slippy and Falco looked nervous. Fox's face was blank. Wolf managed a small wave.

"Star Wolf! I'll be right with you." Pepper refocused on the men in front of him. "Now, I'll be compensating you just as I would if I had hired you for the task."

"Thank you, General. We were happy to help!" Fox exclaimed cheerfully.

"Also, we won't be releasing information of this event to the public. We don't want there to be panic, naturally."

"Understood."

"Very good. Check your accounts later for your payment. That'll be all." Pepper looked back at Wolf expectantly. Wolf didn't move as the other team shuffled out of the room, the neat and orderly uniforms passing by the disorganized metal, leather, and spikes of Wolf's crew. Fox's gaze caught Wolf's single eye for a split second. He tried to speak, but Fox had walked out of the room before he could.

"Here, Star Wolf." Pepper pointed to the ground where Star Fox had been standing just moments before. The three mercenaries stepped forward.

"Let's just get this over with." Wolf grumbled.

Pepper cleared his throat. "Wolf O'Donnell! Fox told me of your team's efforts in helping apprehend the terrorist! From my understanding, you had chased him all the way here after learning of his intentions."

Wolf blinked. "That...that is correct."

"And not only you, but your teammates as well. You all did your part in helping Star Fox, and by extension, Corneria."

"What are you getting at here?"

The general smirked. "What I am getting at, is that we don't let good work go unpaid."

"Bullshit." Leon hissed.

"On the contrary!" Pepper straightened some of the medals on his chest before continuing. "I won't pretend that your bounties don't exist. I'm well aware of them. But that's why I'm offering to wipe them away completely, on top of your compensation."

"Spill it! What's the catch!" Wolf tapped his foot, arms crossed.

Pepper laughed softly. "Simply put, we will be restricting your movements to Corneria. Your Wolfens' weapons systems and FTL capabilities will be taken offline."

"WHAT!"

Pepper raised his hands in a calming manner. "Now, Wolf, this is the alternative to your team being incarcerated. Surely you wouldn't expect us to simply let you go back into the system now that we finally have you all here under this roof."

Wolf grit his teeth, eye stuck on his boots. Panther was the only one to respond. "I believe that is fair, in all honesty."

"Shut up Panther." Leon mumbled.

"Well it is."

Wolf didn't move. He hated it, but it was true. It was the best deal they were going to get from the Cornerian government. He raised his head to meet Pepper's stare once again.

"What about all our stuff? We have a home base, y'know. We can't just leave everything there."

The general pondered for a second as Wolf could feel his teammates' eyes on him. "We can escort you to your base to gather your possessions in a few days. Please understand that you will be under heavily armed guard. So don't try any-"

"Yeah yeah, you don't have to tell us." Wolf waved his hand dismissively. "Looks like we don't have a choice in the matter here. How much money?"

Pepper grinned. "250,000. Each."

Wolf blinked. His compatriots beside him were equally speechless. It was the most money they had ever received at a single time. He clenched his fists. "So, we're stuck on this planet until we die, then?"

The general shook his head. "Find a job within a respectable organization that requires space travel and we will lift your restrictions. Barring that, it will expire in ten years, if your records remain relatively clean."

Leon let out an amused huff while Wolf nodded grimly. "Alright."

"So, you accept these terms?"

"Not like you'd give us anything else. But there is one thing."

"And that is?"

Wolf closed his eye, grimacing. "Don't tell Star Fox that we're stuck here."

"Very well." The amusement was clear on Pepper's face. "Your Wolfens will be kept in a nearby commercial hangar, and I will work on transferring your payment as soon as possible. I'll let you know when we'll be ready to make the trip for the rest of your possessions. You three are dismissed." The dog trudged around his desk and settled into his large leather chair, pulling out a datapad and tapping it vigorously. The guards approached the three men and escorted them outside.

The day on Corneria had started to close. The three ex-mercenaries stood on the sidewalk, still stunned by the previous events. Wolf was the first to speak.

"I need a fuckin drink."

* * *

"Didn't it sound like he was givin us orders? Like we were his soldiers?"

Wolf sat with Panther and Leon in a booth tucked in the dark corner of a remote bar they had found. Empty bottles collected around them.

"Mhm. Makes sense for someone like him, though. That's all he knows." Panther took a swig of his beer, wiping the dribble from his lip that resulted afterward.

The table in front of Wolf was swimming in his vision as he raised his own bottle to his mouth. The warmth of the alcohol was chilled by the lizard across from him. "Hey." He reached over and nudged his shoulder clumsily. "Hey hey, Leooooon."

"Wolf."

"Yer mad at me, aren't ya."

Leon closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose. "You are a fucking genius."

"C'moooooon it won't be so bad! We got enough drinkin money to last us years! An we're free men!"

Leon stood up suddenly, knocking over some of the bottles. "You call _this_ free?" His arms shot out, gesturing all around them. "Stuck on this oppressive rock? Wasting our lives away on foot when we belong in space? Of course I am mad! I am furious!"

"Leoooon yer drunk. C'mon, sit back down."

The chameleon scoffed, shaking his head. "You are a sad sight. What happened to the Wolf O'Donnell of the old days? The one who knew how to take care of his men?"

"Well, I jus got ridda all our bounties n got us a whole tonna cash!"

"That is not what I mean, you idiot! Clearly you have lost sight of what made us Star Wolf!"

Panther eyed his two arguing friends with large eyes, darting back and forth between them. He sipped his drink slowly.

"Well maybe we'll jus be a _new_ Star Wolf! Don't hafta be spaceships n shit!"

"Star Wolf is dead! You killed it! You and your softness for McCloud! You have fucked us!"

Done with his rant, Leon stood there panting, staring down his former leader. Wolf stared back, only registering half of the words that had been yelled his way.

Panther shifted in his seat. "I hate when mom and dad fight..."

There was silence, giving way to a soft chuckle from Wolf, which soon devolved into drunken laughter. Leon narrowed his eyes before storming out of the bar.

"Whaaaat c'mon it was funnyyyyyy!" Wolf's head hit the table. "Ow!" He felt a soft hand on his back.

"He will be fine, Wolf. You know how Leon is." Panther crooned. His voice was as soothing as his touch.

"I dunno, Panth, maybe I _am_ a bad leader."

Panther continued to rub Wolf's back. "If it is any consolation, I think everything you did today was the right thing. Even if the outcome may have had drawbacks, I am proud to call you our leader."

Wolf turned his face to Panther, head still resting on the table. "Thanks, man. But Leon's right. Star Wolf is over, an I ain't anybodies leader no more."

"Well, it is still too early to say that. But we are all still friends."

"...yeahhhh."

Panther stood up and squeezed past Wolf, offering a hand to him. "I think we should get out of here."

Wolf nodded, taking the help and standing up. He stumbled a bit at first, but soon was able to walk outside with Panther. The brisk night air snapped him out of his stupor somewhat. "So, uh, where exactly we goin?"

"Well, money is certainly not a problem, so we can check into a hotel for the time being." The cat strode confidently forward while gently guiding Wolf. Panther always held his drinks mysteriously well.

"What about Leon?"

"He can take care of himself, but I will message him just in case."

"Thanks Panth. Maybe you should be leader." Wolf poked his friend on the cheek, prompting a smile from him.

"I think I will pass."

Panther located the nearest hotel to them and hailed an automated taxi. Wolf sobered up enough to be able to stand on his own when it arrived. The two men stepped into the invitingly warm cabin.

"What do ya think McCloud thought about what we did?" Wolf let himself sink into the soft material of the seat as he closed his eye.

Panther's ears perked. "I am not sure. I do think he was grateful, of course."

"He coulda showed it better." Wolf rest his cheek on his hand, staring out the window. Panther's chuckling brought his attention back. "What?"

"Leon is right! You are soft on him!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Wolf turned to look out the window once again, contemplating this new chapter in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

The infinite stretch of space lay mere centimeters from where Wolf placed his hand. The glass was cold. He glanced to Panther next to him, who was staring at the two armed Cornerian soldiers in front of them. They talked to themselves periodically, paying the former mercenaries little mind.

"We should have waited for Leon." Wolf turned away from the window, crossing his arms and pointing his gaze downward.

"I agree, but he still has not responded to my messages. Pepper only gave us this small window to return to our base for our possessions. We will just have to gather Leon's things as well." Panther crossed his legs while his tail twitched softly.

Wolf lowered his head into his hands, pulling his fingers through his course fur. "I hope he's alright."

"Wow, you are really worried about him."

"Of course I am! He's my crew! Been in Star Wolf since the war! The longest out of any member I've ever recruited!"

"Hmmmm. Now, if I disappeared, would you not care since I have only been around a short while?"

"Shut the fuck up, Panther. You know full well it ain't like that." Wolf's words were muffled by his hands, and Panther laughed a bit timidly.

"Ah, I apologize, Wolf. I was only joking."

"Not in the mood, Panth."

It grew quiet once again, the dull conversation of the two guards melting into nonsense to Wolf's ears.

 _Star Wolf is gone._

It would hit him randomly, the realization that the team he had poured his life into throughout his entire adulthood was no more. It had certainly been past its glory days, of course. The team that had once seen upwards to fifteen members at one time had ended with only three. But it was _his_ team, dammit! But now it was no more, and the closest friend he ever had in his life seemingly cut ties.

Reminiscing about Star Wolf brought his thoughts to its biggest rival, Star Fox. The team had been well known when Wolf formed his own team, basing the name on it out of irony as well as a way to score more work from people. Naturally, the two clashed, again and again, eventually culminating in the battle that took place when Andross had first hired Star Wolf. In a surprising twist, one of Star Fox's own members, Pigma Dengar, joined Star Wolf as a double agent. All of this resulted in the death of Star Fox's leader, James McCloud.

"So, when we return, do you want to search for a place to live?" Panther's voice pulled Wolf from his reflecting. He blinked a few times as he processed the words.

"What, together?"

Panther shrugged. "Not necessarily. But we can not stay at that hotel forever."

"Yeah, you're right about that."

Suddenly, the door to the cockpit slid open, the copilot stepping out. Her eyes locked onto Wolf. "O'Donnell, we've arrived at the coordinates you provided, but will need additional assistance in locating your base."

Wolf groaned, standing up slowly. "Of course you do." He walked past the copilot into the cockpit, followed wordlessly by Panther. In front of them was a densely packed asteroid cluster. Wolf gazed down at the pilot biting her lip and smirked. "Think you can get through it?"

"Just tell me where. I can do it." The pilot put on a confident face.

"If you let me fly we'd get there just fine."

"Pff, yeah, okay. You're lucky you're not in shackles right now."

Wolf let out a slight growl. "That gap right there." He pointed at a small opening in the rocks just a few hundred meters in front of them. "Fly through that."

The pilot nodded, moving the craft toward the spot that Wolf had pointed out.

"You know what this means, right Wolf?" Panther had suddenly drew close to Wolf, virtually whispering in his ear.

"I know, Panth. But it doesn't matter now. If we don't tell them where the base is then all of our stuff would just float in space forever. Or get raided by scrappers in a few hundred years."

Panther nodded slowly at this, melancholy clear. The ship squeezed through the gap as dozens of sensors began sounding off in the cockpit. The copilot grunted as she attempted to dismiss the numerous warnings.

"Pretty good." Wolf leaned forward, gazing out at their surroundings. "Now turn around."

The pilot glanced over her shoulder skeptically, but then followed the order. The craft rotated in the small space, setting off several other sensors.

"Oh wow." The pilot let out a small gasp.

"Surprised you spotted it right away." Wolf leaned back as the group observed the small opening in the largest asteroid in the cluster.

"Thanks, I guess." The pilot approached the aperture, barely slipping through it into the blackness within. She went to turn on the external lights when Wolf held up a hand. He clicked a button on his watch, activating a multitude of lights that lined the interior. The illumination revealed that the asteroid was mostly hollowed out. A sizable structure was built into the far end, the angular construction clashing with the naturally rounded rock around it. The words _Sargasso Mining Facility_ emblazoned one of the walls.

The copilot whistled. "Well I'll be..."

"How _old_ is this place?" The pilot pondered.

"Don't know. We found it shortly after the Lylat Wars and worked to refurbish it. Even then it seemed to have been abandoned for a long time." Wolf stared at the base with pride, undermined by the pain in his chest he suddenly felt. It looked so ordinary, just like every other time they would return to it. "Here, you can dock." Wolf pressed another button on the device he wore, opening a hangar door. The Cornerian ship passed through the particle field, landing in the dimly lit space.

"That flying was quite beautiful." Panther purred. "Of course, not as beautiful as you, my dear."

The pilot rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay. Don't take too long getting your shit, alright? I wanna get home in time for dinner."

"Whatever." Wolf shuffled out of the cockpit, followed by Panther. Wolf snapped his fingers, catching the attention of the guards. "Hey, off your asses. We're here."

One of the men stood up quickly, jabbing a finger into Wolf's chest. "Who do you think you're talking to, pirate scum?"

Wolf pushed past him, turning around with an exaggerated shrug and innocent smile. "I don't know what you're talkin about! I'm just an unassuming Cornerian citizen with no crime record, after all!"

"...I don't get paid enough for this shit."

The four piled out into the hangar, which was empty except for a few old crafts that sat in the corners. Wolf took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the familiar artificial smelling air.

The guards brought out a large hover dolly and made Wolf and Panther push it. They entered a door at the end of the large room which led to a sparse yet wide hallway. The metal grating below them clanked from the impact of their boots, sending reverberating echoes in all directions. Most of the facility was empty, as it only housed three people. Wolf could still remember the bustle of the place when the team had been larger, though.

Following Andross's death, Star Wolf was back to drifting in space. Wolf had shed the scientist's additions to the team: his cowardly nephew Andrew and the traitorous Pigma, leaving only him and Leon. They had found Sargasso while hiding from a patrol, and worked together to make it into their base. They had recruited any criminals or outcasts they could find over the years to help, and with the combination of different backgrounds and expertise, it had become a highly functioning living space.

The pair reached their respective quarters, placing the dolly between the doors so they could easily load it. Wolf's room was an organized clutter, just how he had left it. All manner of memorabilia lay among the walls and shelves. The covers of his bed were strewn about. He sighed, scooping up the blankets and pillows and carrying them out to the dolly. Following that came all the clothes, a collection of blacks and purples with metal sprinkled in, as well as his numerous boots. Next came his assortment of weaponry…

"Hold it!" Wolf heard the sound of an energy rifle power on. One of the guards walked in. "I'll handle those." He kept the gun trained on Wolf as he went over to the weapon cases.

"What, gonna confiscate my own shit?"

"No, we just don't want any unfortunate accidents. We'll keep these locked away until we get back to Corneria, where you'll get a weapons license and register them, just like every other 'unassuming Cornerian citizen'." The guard smirked, carrying the boxes of firearms outside and handing them to the other guard, who went off to the ship. Wolf huffed in frustration.

 _I could overpower these fuckin clowns. Disarm them in an instant. They only sent two guards to watch us, after all._

Wolf's finger twitched as his heart rate increased. He looked around the room. There were many places he could hide and set up the perfect ambush for one of the guards. He could do this. Leon would come back. Star Wolf would come back.

Wolf froze. Fox McCloud's face flashed through his mind. A flood of thoughts filled his mind. What would Fox think of Wolf if he did that? Would he be disappointed? No doubt, considering the last thing they had done was work together to save the Cornerian Capital. Maybe his team would even be hired to track him down. Wolf grumbled, scratching the back of his head as he started to pack up his items again. Fox refused to leave his mind, though.

The son of James McCloud, Fox took command of Star Fox shortly before the Lylat Wars. He was very young back then, but he had managed to pull through, heading the team still after all these years. He was the only pilot Wolf could think of that matched him. Hell, most of the time he even surpassed him. Ever since he came into the picture, he would push Wolf to be better. Every encounter with him was exciting. An exhilarating dance with death that brought the pilots to their limits.

Wolf reached under his bed, dragging out a box full of his reading material. He sorted through them, debating if he wanted to take the whole thing or not. Some old paper novels, instruction manuals, and magazines. Mostly things from his youth. He stopped when the orange and white furred face of a fox peeked out with a seductive grin. Wolf pulled out the copy of _Lylat Hunks Monthly,_ revealing the naked form of the man on the cover, privates just barely covered by some sheets.

Wolf's face burned as he shoved the magazine back into the box, covering it up so the guards wouldn't see it.

* * *

The group had to make two trips in total to gather everything. Wolf and Panther tried their best to be respectful of Leon's things as they loaded it. Thankfully, it seemed like he didn't have many things to begin with. After that came things like toiletries and appliances.

Wolf and Panther walked through the empty base once they were all done, slowly shutting power off to the various systems. Wolf stood in the doorway of his room once again, gazing into the now empty space. He sighed.

Panther was beside him. "Do you think the Cornerian government will scrap this place?"

"I don't know."

"...do you think we will ever come back here?"

"I don't know."

They stood there another moment before Panther grabbed Wolf's hand, squeezing it tight. Wolf looked over to his comrade. The tears in his eyes were apparent.

"I know...I may have only been with this team for a few years...but this place truly was my home. I am very sad to be saying goodbye."

Wolf could've cried too, but he wouldn't let himself. He pat Panther's shoulder. "I know, Panth. It's hard for me too."

"I wish Leon was here." Panther was losing the battle against his tears.

"I know."

They stayed there for a while longer, letting the finality of the situation wash over them.

"Hey! Can we get a move on?" One of the guards shouted down the hallway.

"Shove it up your ass!" Wolf fired back. Panther let go of his hand and pushed him lightly forward.

"He is right, Wolf. We should really leave this place."

Wolf grumbled, walking with Panther back into the hangar and onto the ship. They took their seats across from the guards just as they had before. Once everyone was settled, the craft departed, flying toward the opening they had entered from. As soon as they exited, Wolf shut all the interior lights off and closed the doors. The tears he had fought off before came back, and this time they could not be contained. Wolf let his face fall into his hands, trying to ride out the sudden torrent of emotions. He hadn't cried in years. Panther rubbed his back wordlessly.

* * *

An hour passed in silence. Panther had been on his phone, but the few glances Wolf stole revealed that he was just aimlessly scrolling through various pages without reading anything. The guards seemed to be doing the same.

Wolf, however, spent the time reflecting on the events of the past few days. It was undeniable that all of this was his fault, yet he didn't regret his actions, as much as he wanted to. Leon's heated words from the bar floated through his mind.

"Hey, Panther." Wolf nudged the man next to him lightly.

"Hm? What is it?"

"What do you think Leon meant when he said I was soft on McCloud?" Wolf spoke quietly, trying to stay out of earshot from the men across from them.

Panther's eyes shifted from sad to amused. "Well, there was that time you had a clear shot at him but did not take it."

Wolf scoffed. "We've already been over that! My weapons malfunctioned!"

"Even though the mechanic checked your Wolfen right after the battle and said there was no problem." Panther hummed. "In fact, it was one of the only systems on your ship that remained intact after you crashed."

"Think whatever you want. My cannon definitely jammed."

"Well, whatever the case, all of us had reached a different conclusion. That was around the time the rest of the team went their separate ways, if you remember."

"Yes, I remember!" It had been over the span of about a year, but all of Star Wolf's members, save Leon and Panther, left to pursue their own goals. Wolf hadn't given it much thought at the time. "You're saying it was all due to that one incident?"

"I believe it was a catalyst."

"You're crazy." Wolf turned away from him as Panther chuckled.

"If it is any consolation, I am sure Fox does not completely hate you either, considering he never shoots at you with intent to kill."

"That's just how he is! I'm not a special case! He's just...a talented pilot with a good heart." The words left Wolf's mouth before he had time to think about them.

Panther continued to laugh softly. "And _that_ is why Leon said you were soft on him, and why I agree."

"Shut up." Wolf stood up and entered the small onboard lavatory, ignoring the amused looks the guards gave him. The door behind him slid shut as he ran his hands across his face. Fox McCloud once again dominated his thoughts. He tried to steer his mind elsewhere, but the only other thing it could bring up was the cover image of that _Lylat Hunks Monthly_ issue.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'll have 'nother." Wolf snapped his fingers at the barkeep, who was cleaning up due to the lack of other patrons. The avian behind the counter poured out another glass of whiskey and placed it in front of Wolf, turning quickly to his other duties.

Wolf gulped down the drink, basking in the warmth it left in his body. His head swam in the room's current, carrying his negative thoughts downstream.

 _Like how I haven't heard from Leon for over two months._

Wolf downed the rest of the whiskey, grimacing as he forced the thought from his mind. Nothing was wrong. The soft embrace of the alcohol in his system was all that mattered. The seat started to melt into the floor, but Wolf caught himself on the counter before he went with it.

"Hey, -okay, bud?" Wolf managed to hear a voice as he struggled with the stool.

"Mmmf. S'right. 'Nother." He burped, sprawling his arms across the counter.

"-think you had enough, sir." The dark shape of the bartender swirled in front of the lights on the ceiling.

"Didn't ask fer yer fuggin opinion." What was meant to sound intimidating only came out as a tired mumble.

"No-could lose my job if-you."

Wolf chuckled, raising his body off of the surface. "I hadder job once...fugged it aaawll up." He flew his hand in front of him like a ship before crashing it into the counter, making an explosion sound.

"Why-tell me about it?" A glass of water was slid in front of Wolf, who eyed it for a moment before taking it, easing his parched throat.

"Well, I was a fuggin space mercenary, y'know?" He burped again, and the barkeep reached behind the counter and pulled out a small bucket, sliding it over to Wolf. He simply dipped his head into it and kept talking.

"Worked for that fuggin mad ass fuggin Andross prick cuz I thought he was a swell guy. Turns out awl the media was right about him. Last fuggin time I listen to shitass stupid fuggin idiots on the web. Y'know?"

The bartender nodded. "Of course."

"Well after the war, took my best friend who was still with me n built a better team. And we did it! Over ten years shit was all fuggin nice! Not even Star Fox caused much trouble for us, y'know?"

"I see."

"Ya heard of Star Wolf, right?"

"I think so."

"Well, das me." Wolf pointed his clawed thumb to himself, toothy grin plastering his face.

"Huh, small system."

"Yeaaaah. Well, after few years iss only us three. We do a job deliverin some sketchy ass cargo for some dumb ape. I get Leon to snoop aroun and it's a fuggin bomb set to blow the shit out of this city."

"Oh wow."

"Yeah. I saved yer fuggin life, y'know!"

"I'm sure you did, sir."

Wolf took another sip of water. "Me n Fox McCloud, together at last. Fightin alongside each other. Of course Pepper didn't tell anyone, and grounded me n my team fer our troubles."

"Mhm."

"Now Leon's been gone ever since and Panther's been too busy shoppin fer mansions or some shit. Stupid ass was never good with his money. Leaves jus me here ta drink alone."

"That's rough, buddy."

Wolf finished the glass of water and sighed. "Should prolly head home now." He swiveled the stool around, stumbling off the seat and catching himself on the counter.

"Woah woah, do you need me to call a cab?" The bartender reached over and grabbed Wolf's wrist.

"Nahh I live right up th'street." Wolf tried to brush the hand away with no success as he swayed slightly.

"I think you should sit back down and sober up a little bit." The bird guided Wolf back into his stool and gave him another glass of water and a bowl of pretzels.

"Whate'er." Wolf took some pretzels and more water. He scrutinized the surface in front of him, focusing on the scratches and rings left by glasses over the years. He scratched the messy fur on his cheek and hiccuped. "Y'know, I really wanna jus talk to 'im."

"Talk to who?" The barkeep went back to cleaning, returning the puke bucket to its position under the counter.

"McCloud. We've only ev'r been fightin each other 'n shit cuz of our work. But now that I don't ev'n have that anymore, I wunner if..." Wolf's eye went wide before he rubbed it with his hand. "Agh, don't tell anyone I said that."

"My beak is sealed."

Wolf munched on a few more pretzels and finished the water before he stood up slowly. His balance had mostly returned to him and the bartender made no attempt to deter him. "Thanks. Have a g'night."

Wolf pushed the door of the bar open, leaving the inviting warmth for the chilling air outside. He zipped his leather jacket up and folded his arms to his chest. A light snow fell from above, dusting all of the surfaces. The cold atmosphere mostly freeing up the last of his impeded senses, Wolf began his trek.

The streets were mostly empty, as midnight had come and gone hours ago. The falling snow was illuminated by the soft blues and oranges of the street lights, leading a path to Wolf's apartment. The slick ground proved a slight problem, but he managed to stay on his feet the whole time. It wasn't long before the complex emerged from behind a corner. It was a bit low end, but serviceable. Wolf had learned to be frugal in his time as a vagrant in space.

He entered the lobby, warmth once again enveloping his body. He took the elevator to the floor his room was on, fumbling with the key for a second before entering. The space was small, made smaller by the myriad of boxes from Sargasso that laid unopen for the past few weeks.

Wolf turned up the thermostat and shed his heavy clothes. He took a long piss in the bathroom before shuffling into his room, falling into the mattress. He closed his eyes as the world around him tumbled, the last remnants of alcohol making itself known as he fell into a light sleep.

* * *

Wolf's skull was tearing itself apart when the sun hit his face. He groaned, grabbing a pillow and pressing it hard against his forehead.

 _Alright, there's no way I'm getting back to sleep._

He removed the pillow, eye screwed shut. He slowly inched himself out of bed, careful not to move suddenly and enrage the swirling storm in his head. He stood up and took slow steps toward the kitchen, where he grabbed an instant meal drink. He downed it in a few seconds along with some pain pills. The crumpled form of leather and denim caught his eye. The clothes he wore last night lay in the middle of the floor where he had let them fall. As he picked up the jacket, his phone fell from his pocket.

"Shit!"

The device hit the ground with a clatter as Wolf clutched his head, splitting pain shooting through it in response to his sudden shout. He reached down and grabbed the phone, trying to see if there were any new cracks on the screen. He also saw the current time was just past 8 AM and…

 _A message from Leon…_

Wolf opened it quickly, eye scanning over it carefully.

-[meet me for breakfast at collie's cafe at 9]

It was sent a few hours ago. Wolf quickly pulled on the clothes that lay on the ground, heading out the door while ignoring the pain in his head.

* * *

Wolf stepped off of the bus onto the sidewalk. Collie's Cafe was a small establishment at the corner of the street. As he entered, he soon saw his green companion in a far corner of the room, sitting with his back to the wall. He gazed through Wolf, remaining motionless. Wolf strode over, seeing that both meals had already been served: some foreign looking assortment of vegetables for Leon and waffles and sausage for Wolf. His favorite.

As Wolf sat down, Leon spoke up. "You are looking like shit."

Wolf shot a glare at him, suddenly remembering he had not looked at himself since waking up. He quickly cracked a smile though. "Well I missed you too, Leon."

Leon managed a small smile back. "I paid for this meal so you had better eat it."

Wolf immediately speared a sausage with his fork, shoving it into his mouth eagerly. "Well of course! How could I refuse?"

They ate silently for a few minutes, the past few months hanging heavily over them. Wolf ventured first.

"So...have you been gettin our messages?"

"Yes."

"Okay, so you know we took all your stuff from Sargasso and have it at a storage facility."

"Yes."

Wolf took a gulp of his orange juice. "So, do you like, wanna go get it all?"

Leon took some quiet bites from his own meal. "Not particularly."

"Alright, so why ignore us all these months and then suddenly contact me today?"

Leon held up a finger. "I was busy."

"With what?"

"I will show you after we are done here."

They fell quiet once again, and Wolf used that moment to scrutinize his friend closer, but Leon seemed the same as the day he had last seen him.

"So, how have you and Panther been?"

Wolf blinked slowly. "Well, Panther is out house hunting while I've been settled in a cheap place for a few weeks now."

"Any luck finding work?"

"...haven't been looking."

"I see."

Wolf wanted to press further about Leon's past whereabouts, but he knew he'd get nothing from him. "So, how are you handling the cold?"

"I would be handling it better if I were not stuck here."

"Oh come on, Leon. I know you're still mad but there's nothing stopping you from flying somewhere warm on Corneria. In fact that's what I thought you did."

Leon shook his head. "It was a joke. You will see why I stayed."

Wolf huffed, finishing the rest of his meal as the pain in his head receded into a dull ache. Leon soon finished up as well, and with a quick slide of a card he paid for the meal. The two got up and left.

"Follow me." Leon pulled on Wolf's arm lightly, leading him down the sidewalk and into a nearby alley. They reached a grate in the ground, which Leon crouched down to, pulling out a small device and attaching it to the metal. With a few button presses, the grate dislodged, allowing him to pull it aside and drop into the opening. Wolf peered down, seeing Leon's large eyes staring back up at him.

"…Leon what the fuck."

"Just shut up and get down here."

Wolf obeyed, dropping down below the street while Leon set the grate back in place above them. The space they were in held a musty aroma and water from the melted snow outside dripped down from the street. Leon set off once again, boots splashing in the shallow stream of water that flowed around them.

"Y'know, Leon, with all that money you got from Pepper, you could, I dunno, actually find a nicer place to live than under the streets?"

Leon glanced over his shoulder, chuckling. "You are a dick."

"Hah! I knew you missed me!"

Leon turned back, continuing forward while rubbing his arm. "Maybe a little bit."

They walked a bit further, eventually stopping by the door to a utility room. Opening the door revealed some standard tools resting on a shelf, as well as some boxes stacked in the corner. They both stepped into the small space before Leon turned around and looked Wolf up and down. Suddenly, he licked his fingers and brought them to Wolf's cheek, smoothing back the fur that stuck out there.

"Hey hey hey, stoppit!" He slapped Leon's hand away, but he just went in with the other one.

"You are a mess! You will not want them to see you like this."

"Them?"

Leon remained silent, finishing his grooming quickly before moving the nearby boxes aside. Set in the wall was a faint rectangular outline, which he slid to the side, revealing a passage. The two crawled into the small space, flanked by concrete and various pipes. They shuffled forward awkwardly, Wolf careful not to pin Leon's tail with his arm. A red light up ahead guided them to a small room, tall enough to stand up in but not much else. A makeshift door welded from various types of metal stood adjacent from the small opening they had just exited. Leon rapped on it four times, paused, then in three groups of two knocks, followed by a shrill whistle.

Movement could be heard on the other side of the metal slab. "Leave." A muffled voice said.

"Powalski." Leon responded cooly. There was a pause before the door unlatched, showing the lanky form of a young mutt barely past his teens. His eyes instantly locked on Wolf.

"Oh, you got him to come!" The excitement in his voice was barely contained.

"I said I would, did I not? Let us show him around." Leon walked through the door, Wolf not far behind. They made their way down some stairs, surrounded on all sides by pipes and covered wires. There was a turn at a corner which unveiled a larger area, the bowels of the city repurposed into a rudimentary living space, haphazard light fixtures casting zig zagging shadows everywhere. Various canines milled around before noticing the newcomers.

"Woah! It's him!"

"Leon brought O'Donnell!"

"It's Star Wolf!"

They soon found themselves surrounded, each of the dogs looking to be around the guard's age. Some even younger. Wolf couldn't help but notice the blasters they had holstered to their belts.

"Leon." He turned slowly to him. "What's this all about?"

Leon met Wolf with a wide grin. "I got us a new team!"

"Wh-"

"Leon told us about what happened to your team! Your Wolfens might be out of the picture, but we've had our eyes on some other ships to leave the planet for some time!"

"We wanted you to be here when we went through with it though, Boss!"

"Boss?" Wolf could barely get the word out before he was peppered with more speech.

"I'm Shep!" A dog with long shaggy fur reached in and shook Wolf's hand, followed by another, and another, and another.

"I'm Caleb!"

"Mannie!"

"My name's Al.

"Bernard."

The doorman from before appeared as well. "And I'm Jem."

Wolf's eye shot from the group in front of him to Leon rapidly. "H-hi. Nice to meet you." His stare ultimately stayed on Leon as he gave him a look he hoped he'd recognize.

Leon did. "Let me show Wolf where I have been staying." The two older men split from the group, finding themselves in a small tucked away corner occupied by a hammock and not much else.

"Alright, what the fuck is this?" Wolf growled while Leon held his hands up defensively while grinning.

"Just a street gang in need of direction! You would not believe how many I went through to find this one! They called themselves "Crimson Claw"but are much happier to be Star Wolf."

Wolf pinched the bridge of his snout. "How. How did you just pop in and say, 'Hey, fellow criminals! Mind if I commandeer this here gang right quick?' I don't buy it!"

Leon refused to back down, remaining as calm as always. "You saw them. They are young and without focus. They were practically begging for someone to come lead them. Plus, they are familiar with Star Wolf already. That simple."

"So what, you spent all this time trying to rebuild Star Wolf?"

"Precisely!"

"And I remember hearing them mention ships that could get us off planet?"

Leon's smile widened now. "Yes, yes! They are unfortunately in the hands of a rival gang, but we have hatched a plan to acquire them for ourselves! We set out tonight! We will go over the plan with you, of course."

Wolf held his head, dizzy with the rush of information and the last remnants of his hangover. "What...what about Panther?"

"We can contact him after we have completed our goal. I just wanted to surprise you, I guess." Leon averted his gaze.

"Well, I certainly am surprised." Wolf sighed deeply through his nose. If this all worked out they could all be back in space again with a new team. Corneria would once again deem them criminals but that would be in keeping with the previous Star Wolf as well. It was a sound plan. Maybe more than just that…

 _Then why do I feel like I want nothing to do with this?_

Wolf leaned back, giving Leon some space finally. "Well, I guess I'll hear what you all have got planned."

* * *

"Was this really all you had planned?"

Wolf, Leon, and the gang (minus the door guard) were all gathered outside of an unassuming warehouse, dusk encroaching onto the metal and concrete of the area.

Leon peeked around the shipping container they were pressed against. "It is a simple situation. The ships are in there, but so is the enemy. Get most of them to leave, get the ships. We told you as much all day today."

"Yeah, but actually being here now raises concerns! You're usually not this sloppy, Leon!"

Leon scoffed. "You are one to talk. Also you are assuming that I have not scouted this place out extensively for weeks already. The area is big, but they are only concentrated in that one building. Keeps them hidden."

"Don't worry, Boss. These guys are two-bit! And with you and Leon with us, this'll be a breeze!" One of the dogs offered in reassurance. Wolf couldn't remember any of their names.

"Has Jem started his distraction yet?" Another one asked.

Leon looked down at his phone. "He says he has. But still, no activity from inside the warehouse."

"Maybe they're already gone?" The youngest of the group suggested.

"I will check it out." Leon slipped away from the group, using his slender frame to move without detection. Wolf lost him in the darkness for a handful of seconds. His hand brushed slightly over the blaster he had been given earlier as he heard a quiet footstep, soon revealing itself to belong to Leon.

"Well?"

"Mannie is right. There is nobody inside, but the ships are still there under some tarps. They either left already or were not here tonight at all."

"Isn't that a little, I dunno, suspect?" Wolf peered back at the warehouse.

"Perhaps. It is either extremely fortunate or something is wrong. In either case, they will not fall for the same trick twice. We either go now or lose the chance." Leon ended by looking pointedly at Wolf. "Your call. I managed to unlock the door so we can go right in."

Wolf groaned and stood up. "Let's just get this over with."

The group followed Wolf and Leon across the pavement, quickly slipping through the door of the warehouse. A handful of lights revealed what Leon had described before: three tarps covering large structures. Once all seven were inside, Leon shut the door behind them. Everyone else went to work uncovering the ships.

"What's this?"

One by one, the gang members pulled away the coverings, only to reveal unmarked crates.

"What the hell?"

Exclamations of confusion reverberated through the mostly empty structure. Even Leon's stoic face showed some concern.

Wolf rolled his eye. "Leon, were there ever ships here?"

"Of course there were! They were here just yesterday!" Leon rubbed his eyes. "They must have moved bases just today."

"Can't just be a coincidence..." Another in the group offered.

"Well, whatever the case, we should leave." Wolf approached the door as he felt slight waves of relief wash over him. Everyone exited quickly as they discussed their next plan of action.

The last traces of Lylat were now completely snuffed out, and the only traces of light were that of the city. Wolf focused his attention to the sounds of their footsteps on the pavement, drowning out the conversation. His heart dropped into his stomach as he heard a footstep on metal. Every ground battle from the Lylat Wars played through his head in an instant. Leon must have felt it too.

"Hide!" Leon grabbed Wolf with one hand and his gun with the other, pulling themselves behind a shipping container as the rest of the group clumsily followed suit. Two plasma bolts melted the pavement that they had been standing on an instant later.

"Oh fuck!"

"Keep it down Shep!"

Wolf and Leon remained silent, trying to access the situation. Everyone had followed Leon's lead and pulled their blasters out. The smell of molten pavement filled the air. After a few moments of quiet, Leon spoke.

"The shots came from atop the shipping containers. We must assume there is more than one shooter." He looked back at the group. "I will take care of it. Provide me covering fire." Everyone nodded grimly, and right after Leon shot out from cover they all stepped out and took aim.

Wolf looked down the blaster sights, barely making out a shape silhouetted on top of a container against the dark sky. He fired, the light weapon having considerably less power than his usual taste in guns. This, however, allowed him to fire rapidly, keeping the shape pressed down low and unable to return fire. The rest of the gang followed suit, albeit in a less focused manner. A few moments later a shrill scream resounded through the air, followed by plasma fire. The dark figure Wolf had been aiming at disappeared, so he took the chance to turn to the boys next to him.

"Now's our chance! We have to go now!"

Without hesitation, they all broke into a sprint, trying their best to weave in and out of anything that could serve as cover. It wasn't long before bolts of plasma shrieked over their heads, forcing them to hunker down once again, this time behind a short concrete barrier.

"We've never ran into this much trouble with this gang before! They must have backup!" The one Wolf thought was probably Caleb took some blind shots over his head, moving his arm quickly as a bolt of green barely grazed it.

"Ambushed in the dark, the enemy will always seem to have more numbers than are actually there. Keep focused." Wolf breathed in slowly, trying to steady his own trembling hands. Space battles were one thing, but he never got used to ground combat.

Suddenly, Leon vaulted over their cover, landing next to Wolf. His clothes were ripped and bloody, but he still spoke calmly. "There are too many. Much more than I would have expected."

"See? Told you they had backup!"

"Which means someone knew we were coming!"

"This is something we can think about after we get out of this mess!" Wolf barked. "Our only hope at this point is to make a run for it before they can flank this position! Run and shoot, but don't stop! Don't give them a window!" He tried his best to remove the shaking of his voice. He closed his eye and inhaled. "On my mark."

Everyone tensed.

"Three."

The fire on their position slowed slightly.

"Two."

Everyone shuffled into position.

"One."

Electricity seemed to course through the air, powered by fear and adrenaline.

"NOW!"

Wolf slammed his foot into the ground, propelling himself forward as he twisted his torso around to aim at the enemies. Bolt after bolt left the barrel of his gun as his boots hammered into the pavement, giving ache to his feet and a stinging feeling to his thighs. The light from their shots illuminated the space around them a bloody red, juxtaposed with the bolts of green that flew in their direction. They just had to get out of sight and underneath the streets again. Wolf pointed his attention forward, seeing their goal: the maintenance hatch they had arrived in, just over 30 meters away.

A cry of pain came from close by.

"Mannie!"

Wolf turned around and came to a halt, his eye widened. In their hurry, the boy must have lagged behind the group and took a bolt to the leg. He was limping slowly, reaching his hand out to his comrades, who were attempting to double back to him. Wolf almost did the same, but was pulled back by Leon.

"No! They will kill us all if we stop!"

Wolf wanted to protest, but he could no longer speak. He could only watch in horror as a boy in his mid teens was cut down by bolt after bolt of plasma, twisting and distorting his body as the last gasps of air left his mouth. Another of the gang was hit too, causing the last three to sprint toward Wolf and Leon.

The five remaining opened the entrance to the underground, dropping in quickly and sealing the entrance. Wolf followed them through the labyrinth. Everything was numb. He couldn't even form thoughts. The others might have been talking. Shouting maybe, but all he could hear was the pounding of his heart and a ringing in his ears.

At some point they must have gotten back to the hideout. Wolf was standing in the middle of the room while Leon snapped his fingers in front of his face.

"Wolf! Wolf! Are you okay?"

Wolf blinked as he shook his head. "No."

"Where were you hit!"

"Wasn't."

Leon took a step back, his face just as unreadable as always. The rest of the group were shouting amongst themselves.

"They fucking got Mannie and Bern! They're fucking dead!"

"Where the fuck is Jem?

"Maybe they got him too?"

"Did he sell us out?"

Leon walked over to them. "We need to remain calm if we are to figure this out. Right Wolf?" He peered back at him. Wolf just shook his head again.

"No..."

"Hm?"

"I SAID NO!" Wolf slammed his boot into the metal grating below him. "I can't do this! I want no part of it!"

Everyone stared at him in silence. He undid the holster they gave him, blaster still inside, and threw it on the ground before turning heel and storming out. He heard Leon call after him, but he didn't stop.

* * *

In his numb haze, Wolf eventually found his way back to his apartment. Once inside, everything pent up came bursting forth. His back slammed into the front door, body sliding slowly to the ground as it trembled violently. The smell of burnt cloth and flesh seemed to cling on him, causing him to rip frantically at his clothes, barely pulling them off as he started to sob. He curled himself into a fetal position, heart threatening to burst from his chest. He choked on the air he breathed, suffocated by the whirlwind of images in his head. Wolf pounded his fist into the floor, over and over again until blood flowed freely from the wounds.

 _It's all my fault._


	4. Chapter 4

Wolf eventually was calm enough to move his body, dragging it across the floor and onto the bed, where he lay on pins and needles for hours. Every small noise set him off, expecting the rival gang, the police, hell, maybe even Pepper himself to burst into his apartment.

Once the sun had risen Wolf also rose, unsure if he had even slept. After allowing his body enough food to barely keep running until the next meal, he checked up on the latest news. Only a handful of sites reported on last night's incident, none of the stories differing too much from each other. They correctly attributed the shootout to gang activity, and reported five deaths. There were no pictures or names attached. Nobody would care about the lives of some criminals, after all. The twisting feeling in Wolf's gut returned from earlier. He felt even guiltier by the relief he felt when he couldn't find any mention of him or Leon in any of the articles.

"What were you fuckin thinking..." Wolf grumbled. Leon was never one to make plans. He usually just went along with Wolf's lead, offering advice from time to time. This was the first time he could remember Leon doing anything significant on his own accord.

 _He did all of that just to get Star Wolf back._

Wolf stood up and paced.

 _Did anyone even need our help?_

If Wolf had just sent an anonymous tip about the bomb, would the outcome have been the same? Corneria happy and safe and Star Wolf still in operation?

 _That would have been better, right?_

Wolf noticed that his stock of food and, more importantly, alcohol had run out, so he washed the stench from last night off of his fur in the shower before pulling on his least dirty clothes. The metal on his boots clanked down the empty hallway, accompanied by the slight squeak of his mostly leather outfit.

Apparently it had snowed more after Wolf had gotten back, as it had piled up to about his ankle and was still steadily coming down. He trudged toward the bus stop, whose occupants gave him a wide berth. Wolf checked his phone, seeing that Panther had sent him images of a place he was currently checking out. He considered telling him about Leon, but ultimately refrained. The phone returned to his pocket after informing Panther he was a dumbass and all the places he was looking at would put him in debt for life.

The bus eventually arrived, having no trouble with the snow, which was melted by the internally heated roads. Everyone pushed past Wolf, scrambling inside and leaving him with no seats. No matter. Wolf didn't mind standing. Nobody looked at him while he gazed out the window, watching the winter-covered city pass. Wolf wrapped his arm around the pole he had grabbed, sticking his hands in his jacket pockets and hunching over, despite the heating on the bus being more than adequate. His phone buzzed again, and the screen revealed Panther flipping him off with his tongue stuck out.

"Yeaaaaah fuck you too, ya prick." Wolf managed a small grin as he returned the phone to his pocket. The passengers seated near him inched away slowly upon hearing his voice. He scoffed softly, returning his attention outdoors.

The bus passed by multiple food stores, and passengers began to seep out, ending their work commute. Wolf stayed standing, despite the empty seats that now presented themselves around him. He closed his eye.

 _What do people see?_

He tried to place his perspective elsewhere on the bus, observing this tall, unkempt, dirty man standing alone, wearing mostly black and missing an eye. Could they tell he had just seen people die the night prior? That it was his fault? Could they tell that it was not new ground for him?

 _Yeah, probably._

The pain from Wolf's knees started to break free from the numb of his mind. Shaking his head, he left the bus at the next stop closest to a grocer.

* * *

The snow stopped when Wolf stepped out, bags in each hand, filled with food and booze. He looked around, deducing that he was somewhere near the center of the city, probably. Needing something to fill the day, Wolf decided to forego the bus back, instead walking south. The cold air blew through him, carrying a tinge of salt on its end.

 _That must mean the main spaceport is near…_

Right on cue, a low roar echoed between the skyscrapers. Looking up, the unmistakable silhouette of the Great Fox tore across the sky. Wolf gaped. It was the first time he had seen Star Fox's flagship since, well, when his team was still formed.

Wolf's pace picked up, accelerating to a near jog in the direction of the craft, which was no doubt docking. He didn't know why he wanted to see it land, but he did.

A small crowd had formed to do the exact same thing, leaning on the railing separating them from the sea below. Wolf slowed to a halt, placing his bags down. His heavy breathing formed clouds which blew past his face as he looked up, seeing the massive ship lower onto the docking structure.

"Fox is on there." He uttered between breaths.

His ears flattened, looking around to make sure nobody heard.

 _Goddammit I was not supposed to say that out loud._

Regardless, the fact remained. A flood of emotions washed over Wolf, all the thoughts he had about Fox over the past months rushing to the front of his mind. The confusion as to why he couldn't muster up the hate for his rival that he used to produce in spades. The frustration of being unable to stop wondering what he must think of him. And the most agonizing: the sudden desire to talk to him. Wolf felt his legs move toward the spaceport.

"Nope." He picked his groceries up and walked in the opposite direction. "Nope."

* * *

Wolf walked back home, thinking that the exercise and fresh air would keep his mind amply occupied. Naturally, it did not.

 _With Star Wolf gone, there's no longer any reason to hold any animosity._

 _Sure, but that doesn't mean we should be best friends._

 _Not even a bit curious?_

 _Nuh uh. Fuck him. He can live his life and I can live mine._

Eventually Wolf found himself back in front of his lackluster apartment complex, and he made his way toward the stairs.

 _And what an amazing life that's gonna be now._

Boxes lining the wall greeted him once again as he entered his apartment. He stocked the food and let the bags fall to the ground, joining a few others from weeks past. After that task was done, he grabbed one of the six packs he bought and plopped down on the couch with it, turning on the television in the process.

Wolf cycled through the hundreds of channels, seeing every slice of Corneria living that could possibly be seen. From the frozen northern continents to the massive jungles and deserts around the equator. And it was absolutely boring. Wolf opened a bottle of beer and downed it, moving quickly to the next one. Two was his limit, though, before the lack of sleep the previous night caught up to him and he fell asleep on the couch, mouth agape and drooling.

* * *

His phone woke him up. A text from Leon.

-[meet me by our wolfens as soon as you can]

A bolt of rage coursed through his body. He knew Leon was cold, but to not even mention last night was heartless even for him. He wanted to respond, but decided against it. He stood up, deciding to tend to the crying of his stomach. It was dark now, and the TV had some obnoxious game show playing. He walked to the kitchen and threw together a sandwich, washed down by metallic tasting tap water. His phone once again vibrated.

-[Leon just contacted me! Told me to meet him where our Wolfens were grounded. Did he message you too? We should meet him there!]

Wolf choked on his drink. Leon had contacted Panther as well? And he probably wasn't going to tell him about what happened last night. Wolf began typing a response, but was unsure how to get across everything he wanted to tell Panther. Ultimately he gave up, deciding instead to follow Leon's instructions and head to the hangars.

…

He was only there once before, but Wolf still remembered exactly where Pepper had grounded the three fighters. And sure enough, there were two figures standing outside. Wolf sped up his pace as the two other men noticed him approach.

"Ah, there he is!" Panther's lighthearted tone was heart-wrenching.

"Thank you for coming." Leon's voice was calm, as always. It shouldn't have been.

Wolf stopped centimeters from Leon's face. "Don't give me that BULLSHIT! We have the blood of children on our hands!"

Panther went wide-eyed. "Wh-what in Lylat are you talking about!"

"I knew you wouldn't tell him." Wolf turned to Panther. "You might have heard about that gang shootout this morning? The one that happened last night? All thanks to me and our scaly friend here."

"Yes, I did hear about that, but what's this about dead children!?"

Wolf went into more detail, barely containing his rage as he recounted the traumatizing events of the previous night. Leon made no attempt to speak the entire time, instead staring at his boots.

"And what about the rest of them, Leon? Did you abandon them?"

Leon snapped his head up, glaring at Wolf. "No, they told me to leave! Said everything was our fault."

"Good." Wolf scoffed. "They were right."

Silence followed, with only the sound of Panther's feet scuffing the ground heard. He was the one to eventually speak up. "So, what is this meeting tonight about. I can certainly make a few guesses, but..."

"We are leaving this planet."

Wolf laughed humorlessly. "Good one."

"Not a joke. After last night's failure, I knew that the Wolfens would be the only way. It was my last resort, but I infiltrated Pepper's base and got the FTL unlock codes. We can leave."

The two others stared at him, eyes wide and unblinking. "It was certainly not easy." Leon answered the unspoken question.

"We're going to be noticed. They've probably already found out you were snooping around!" Wolf tried to keep his voice down as much as possible, but it was a losing battle.

"I did my best to minimize my presence, and even now there is a repeating loop playing in the security cameras around us, but you are right. As soon as we take off the entire military will know. But this is not a situation too dissimilar to our old Star Wolf days, no?"

The name pounded at Wolf's eardrums.

Star Wolf

Star Wolf

Star Wolf

 _Star Wolf is gone._

"Let it go, Leon."

"Excuse me?" Venom dripped from his scaly lips.

"Just...stop trying to bring it back. It's over. I...I ended Star Wolf...as its leader."

Leon's mouth twisted into a horrid frown. "You...I did all of this for YOU! And now you are saying I did it for NOTHING!?" He was having a rare heated moment. Wolf stood there solemnly, leaving Panther to stand there and watch, his golden eyes wide.

"I'm sorry. I didn't really realize it until now." Their former leader sighed. "If you want to do something for me, then please forget Star Wolf and live your life."

"F-forget? I...you!" Leon shot forward like a bolt, clocking a hit square across Wolf's jaw. He stumbled backward, arms instinctively raised to protect from further strikes. Panther stepped between the two.

"Enough! Leave him be!" Panther unsheathed his claws. Leon made no move to attack further, and Wolf rubbed the area where he was hit.

"Do you seriously not realize how much this team means to me!" Leon held his arms straight to his sides, fists balled up and shaking. "Do you not even remember the talks we have had! When I have poured my heart out to you! Does it mean nothing to you!" He turned his back on the two and muttered. "And they call me the cold one."

Wolf took one step forward, moving Panther out of the way. "I didn't forget, but I guess I lost sight of it." Leon turned around again to face him. "But I just can't do it anymore. I realize now that it was a life I've been trying to escape for years now..." He could see Leon's heart breaking, but he knew he had to say it now. "I'm truly sorry, but I'm staying here."

Leon moved toward Wolf again, prompting Panther to try and block him, but he pushed past him. Wolf didn't flinch as his friend's arms were thrown around him, pulling him into a tight embrace, the first he had ever received from Leon.

"You truly are my best friend, Wolf." Soft sobs were apparent as he spoke. "I am also sorry, that I cannot stay here with you and the life you have chosen."

Wolf returned the hug, giving Leon a few solid pats on the back. "We'll still keep in touch. Don't worry."

Their hug ended, and Leon went over to open the hangar door. Panther stood there, rubbing his arm awkwardly.

"Ah, well, Wolf, as long as we are all being honest with our feelings now, I must say that I will also be leaving."

"Oh? Says the one who's been trying to find a place to live here for how long now?"

"Well, ultimately you were right. I do not have enough money for what I want, and I do not wish to stay on this planet to earn the money. It is clear that I belong out amongst the stars." Panther smiled sadly. "You do too, Wolf."

"I know, but not like this."

It was Panther's turn to hug Wolf. Much warmer and softer than Leon's, but not as rare. He turned to a pile of luggage previously unnoticed by Wolf. Panther opened up the shutter where his own Wolfen was kept and started lugging the bags in.

"Ah, so you knew all along what Leon wanted to do."

"Yes. Uh, mind helping me?"

"Not at all." Wolf smiled solemnly.

Both of them had stuff they were bringing, and Wolf helped them both. The part of his brain that was still in the past cried and screamed at him to join them, but he knew he couldn't. Despite the fact that his two only friends on this planet were about to leave him completely alone, he knew he had to stay.

"You know you guys can't go back to Sargasso. It'll be the first place they look.

"Of course." Leon winked slowly. "I know where to go, but I will not tell you, since you will no doubt be questioned by the authorities once they've detected the Wolfens have left. It will be best for you to tell them the truth and say you do not know where we have gone."

"Heh, thanks I guess." He watched as the two of them climbed up into their Wolfens, not bothering with flightsuits as usual.

"Wolf!" Leon called down to him, and Wolf gave him his attention.

"Leon!"

Leon sighed, rubbing his eyes before continuing. "If you are doing this because of McCloud, please make an effort to see him instead of doing nothing and wasting away."

Wolf's face went hot in an instant. "It's not because of him."

Leon responded with a smirk before the cockpit closed with a hiss. He stepped back as the two Wolfens moved out of the hangars, the frame they were mounted on moving with the tracks on the ground. Soon they angled up, and the magnetized rails shot them into the sky, where their rockets fired, taking them out of the atmosphere. Wolf watched as they blended into the stars, and eventually, jumped into FTL. The bittersweet sadness he had been feeling was replaced by numbness. His life on Corneria would now officially begin.

Wolf thought about what Leon had told him just minutes earlier. "Easy for him to say..."

He sat down, knowing there was no point going back home. He would just have to wait for Pepper's men to pick him up for questioning.


End file.
